4 female cyclists challenge conservative traditions in Gaza

In a rare scene in the conservative Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas, four female cyclists are riding their bicycles in a main street in the northern village of Beit Hanoun, with full confidence.

One of the four said they have decided to do the sports for 20 minutes each day, adding that the decision was brave. "It is part of women's rights and an attempt to defy the tight restrictions imposed on women in Gaza. We also do it for fun."

The four usually wear long-sleeve shirts, and covered their heads with hats and scarves for religious reasons.

Amna Sleiman, a 34-year-old English teacher at Gaza International American School, and one of the four cyclists, told Xinhua "the thing which was a dream yesterday has become true and real today. We are practicing this kind of sports after it has been monopolized by men for so many years."

"In the beginning it was very difficult... people were criticizing us, but we never give up and insisted to ignore this criticism and we carried on until it has become normal for so many people who agreed that we have done nothing wrong," she said.

The Gaza Strip, an impoverished coastal enclave, is considered a strict conservative society that prevents mixtures of males and females in schools and consider wearing tight clothing as something contradicts with the society's traditions.

The tight traditions in Gaza and the cultural restrictions have never prevented Sleiman and her colleagues to practice cycling.

Sleiman grew up in South Africa. She has been interested in riding bicycles since she was a kid. When she first came to live in Gaza, she practiced the sports only inside the doors.

"Now I don't care and I can bicycle in busy streets," she said, adding "I feel so happy and comfortable while riding a bicycle. I really like it because it reminds me of my childhood."

The female teacher believes that riding a bicycle has many psychological and physical benefits, adding "I can burn calories, fight fatness, get fresh and active for doing the sports.

"We are fully convinced that what we do is not contradicting with the tight conservative tradition of the Gaza Strip society; we do something we like and what we do is part of our personal freedom," she said. Endit